The Children's Songbook Companion says:
"While Sister Clara McMaster was on the Primary
General Board, she was asked to write a song for children and parents to
sing together at a special program in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
She wrote this song through much study, fasting, and prayer.
Sis McMaster said, 'When I was writing 'Teach Me to Walk in the Light', I
turned to the scriptures. I read a passage many, many times about walking
in the light. It seems that is the way we have to walk and the way children
must learn to walk - in the light of his love."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a book on the Latter-Saint hymns, this is what it
says about Sister McMaster:
She was born in 1904 at Beaver Dam, Utah. She is the
eleventh child born into a musical family and has maintained a lifelong
interest in children's music.
She served as a member of the Primary General Board for fourteen years
and sang with the Tabernacle Choir for twenty-three years. She and her
husband are the parents of 4 children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sister Menlove mentioned her a bit in her talk at
Conference last week (April Conference 2005).
"Can you feel the peace of these children?
Teaching children requires more than desire. It
requires diligence on our part. Earlier I mentioned the song "Teach
Me to Walk in the Light," written by Clara McMaster. Sister McMaster
shared with me that while serving on the Primary general board she
received the assignment to write a song about teaching children. She
found this an especially daunting task and prayed to know how to
begin and complete this assignment.
After much effort she submitted her work, only to
be told that it was not yet right. She was not told what to change,
only to continue the effort until it was right. She was spiritually
exhausted, not knowing how to proceed. She again sought guidance
from the Lord, made changes, and submitted another edition. This
process continued three times until at last she was told it was
perfect and she was not to change anything.
Even though there were many times that Sister
McMaster wanted to give up, she diligently worked at what she had
been asked to do and what she hoped would bless the lives of
children. Her inspired music has been sung by adults and children in
many lands and in many languages.This
song represents the desire of my heart—that all children will learn
to walk in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This song begins
with a plea from a child, "Teach me to walk in the light," and ends
with a commitment, "Gladly, gladly we'll walk in the light."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy writes:
She was the 11th child of her family. Born in Beaver Dam,Utah and
raised in Brigham City. She attended Utah State college and taught
school for a time. She was in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 22
years. She and her husband received the Franklin S. Harris Fine
Arts Award from BYU in 1978. She was a member of the Primary
General Board for 14 years, serving on the Primary music committee
most of this time.
An interesting thing I think is she is she wrote
the words and the music to some of my favorite songs...
Teach Me To Walk In The Light
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
Reverently Quietly
Choose The Right Way
Kindness Begins With Me
Remember the Sabbath Day